Kembaraxtra-Case Law- Conspiracy to Pervert the Course of Justice

Case Summary: Jackson (1985)

• Facts: C and D agreed to shoot E in the leg if E was convicted of burglary. Their aim was to mitigate E's sentence.
• Holding: C, D, and E were found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
• Key Principle from Jackson: The term "necessarily" in s 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 does not require that the agreed-upon offense must inevitably be carried out. Instead, it means that if the agreement is carried out according to the plan, then the referred offense must be committed.

Criminal Conspiracy Offences

Legislative Framework

• Primarily governed by ss 1-5 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
• s 1(1) of the 1977 Act was amended by s 5(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981.
• Purpose: These Acts codify conspiracy offenses relating to:
• Crimes
• Corruption of public morals
• Outraging public decency
• Fraud

Key Question Regarding Intent

• Precision of "The Plan": How precise must the intention be with regard to the details of "the plan" for a conspiracy to be established? (This question remains pertinent for analysis beyond the Jackson case itself.)